Truck carrying beef intercepted, three people thrashed in Bihar; Opposition attributes incident to BJP joining government

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PATNA: People belonging to a cow protection group intercepted a truck carrying beef from an illegal slaughter house and assaulted the truck driver, along with two other men in the vehicle at Bihar’s Bhojpur district on Thursday.

The incident, the first ever attack of this nature in Bihar, prompted the opposition parties to allege that cow vigilantism had reared its head in the state because of BJP joining the government after the collapse of the grand alliance last month.

The incident comes two days after Bihar’s newly-formed NDA government said it would not allow setting up of any new slaughterhouse in the state. Animal husbandry minister Pashupati Kumar Paras also said the ban on cow slaughter as per a 1955 law would be enforced stringently across Bihar.

Hundreds of people, allegedly mobilised by local Bajrang Dal activists, gathered at Shahpur Bazar village and intercepted a truck (WB 23 D 6394) carrying beef covered in ice. The driver and two other men in the truck were slapped and detained by the mob that also blocked NH-84 for two hours. Police reached the spot and took the three men into custody.

Chandan Kumar Pandey, one of the people who intercepted the truck, said, “Beef from an illegal slaughter house functioning in Rani Sagar area here is regularly sent to West Bengal in violation of the law. Officials of Shahpur police station are allowing this. We will no longer let this happen.”

Bhojpur ASP Daya Shankar, who controlled the situation, assured the people of a probe into their allegations within the 24 hours and suitable action.

Animal husbandry minister Pashupati Kumar Paras said, “Sample of the meat in the seized truck has been sent for examination. A probe has been ordered. Action will be taken against those responsible as per the findings of the probe. There is already a ban on the slaughter of cows in Bihar.”

Opposition RJD and the Left parties attributed the incident to BJP joining the state government.

“It is a clear confirmation that BJP has assumed power in Bihar. Now only Hindutva policies will be implemented while he (Nitish Kumar) continues to remain the chief minister,” said CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury in New Delhi.

Bhai Birendra, RJD leader, said, “This is the beginning of Hindutva politics in action in Bihar. We will do everything possible to foil their dangerous plans in the state.”